Mixing machine



M'ay 4, 1937. l M A ARNDT` 2,079,272

MIXING MACHINE Filed June 8, 19.56 Va sheets-shawl ff f4 ii 40 41 u t ifi 9- Q5 y 4f A @LA /Nz/E/v TDR M. 'A. ARNDT l 4, 1937 M. A. ARNDT $079,272

MIXING MACHINE Filed June 8, 193e 2 sheets-sheet 2 #v4/5N TDR MA. ARNDT TTU/R Nes/ .1 ment.

Patented May 4, 1937 PATENT @FFICE MIXING MACHINE Max A. Arndt, Portland, Oreg., assignmof onehalf to Alexander M. McIntosh, Portland,

Oreg.

Application June 8, 1936, Serial No. 84,123

7 Claims.

This invention relates generally to mixing machines and particularly to a machine for mixing ice cream during the freezing operation.

The main object of this invention is the provision of an exceedingly simple and eicient form of mixing element which Will thoroughly blend the mixture and subject the entire contents of the container to the blending action.

'I'he second object is to produce a mixture of l() the class described in `Whichthe material is subjected to alternating endwise movements during the mixing operation and to a longitudinal movement in one direction When the consistency of the ice cream has reached a predetermined consistency.

The third object is to so construct the device as to render same easily adjustable for the purpose of varying'the point at which the mixing movement is replaced by va discharging move- These, and other objects, will become more apparent from the specification following as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the device showing the parts in a mixing position.

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1 but showing the parts in a cream discharging position.

Fig. 3 is a section taken along the line 3--3 in Fig. 1. y

Fig. 4 is a section taken along the line 4-4 in Fig. 1, representing a position of the parts during the time the mixturev is still in liquid form.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the position of the parts as the mixture begins t0 thicken.

Fig. 6 is a section taken along the line 6 3 in Fig. 2 showing the position of the parts when the mixture has frozen or thickened to the desired degree.

Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the device.

Fig. 8 is a section taken along the line 8-8 in Fig. 1.

Similar numbers of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

\ .45 Referring in detail to the drawings, there is tion. Secured on the shaft It adjacent to the head I is a flange I8 which is provided with the stops I9. Rockably mounted on the shaft I6 and adjacent to the flange I8 is a collar 2E) Which has projecting from opposite sides thereof and 5 in axial alignment with each other the guide rods 2|. Similar rods 22 project from the sleeve I4. 'I'he rods 22 are in the same longitudinal plane as the rods 2|. The rods 2| and 22 have mounted thereon the slides 23 from which ex- 10 tend the arcuate brackets 24, Which support the spiral bars 25, the outer one of which is held close to the inner wall of the cylinder I0 by centrifugal force. Across the bars 25 are placed g... the bladesY 26 which are in spaced relationship 15 to each other, the` outermost edges of the blades 26 coinciding substantially with the outermost edge o-f the o-uterbar 25.

Secured on the shaft I6 are the hubs 2l by means of the pins 28. Each hub 2'I has pro- `20 jecting therefrom in opposite directions and. in parallel relationship the guide rods 29. Each guide rod 29 has slidably mounted thereon a slide 3i). Spiral bars 3| are attached to the slides 30 by means of the connecting members r 32. The outermost bars 3| are caused to revolve close to the inner Wall of the cylinder il) by centrifugal force. Each hub 21 is provided With a series of holes 33 which are concentric about the shaft I6.

Rotatable on the shaft I6 and against the perforated sideof each hub'2'I is a disc 34 provided'with the pin 35 which may engage one of the holes 33. Around the shaft IS is placed a torsion spring 36, one end of which is secured to the disc 34 and the other end of which is secured to the sleeve I4. A similar spring 3l is placed around the shaft I6 and has one end secured to the collar 20 and the other end to the adjacent hub 34.

The projecting end 38 of the shaft I6 is provided With a slot 39 in which is slidably placed a paWl 40 Which is attached by means of a rod 4| to a ring 42 for manual manipulation. A spring 43 on the rod 4| urges the pawl 40 intol 45 engagement with the teeth I5.

'I'hehead I2 is provided with an inlet duct 44 and a discharge nozzle 45, the latter of which is provided With a suitable gate 46. The gate 46 may be actuated by means of a screw 4l which is operated by a hand Wheel 48 or in any other convenient manner without departing from the spirit of this invention.

It is desirable to provide stops 49 on the sleeve I4 adapted to engage one bar 3|. 'I'he blade 55 sections 3IA extend across the bars 3| and register with the spaces between the blade sections 26.

The operation of the device is Aas follows:

Assuming that the gate 46 is closed and that a quantity of mix is inserted in the cylinder I0 through the inlet 44, rotation is now supplied to the shaft I6 from any convenient source of power not shown. The springs 36 and 31 have urged their attached members apart as far as possible, that is, against the stops I9 and 49. Owing to `the fact that the blade sections 26 are spaced from each other and that the blade sections 3l A register without exception between the blades 26 while the mix is in a relatively soft or uid condition, it follows that the rotation of the shaft I6 will impart a thorough mixing ac tion to the entire contents of the cylinder I0, the movement being longitudinal as well as circumferential. As the freezing action proceeds and the mix thickens, the blade sections 3IA, which are positively driven from the shaft I6, naturally rotate in unison with the shaft, but the blades 26 which are actually driven through the springs 36 and 3l, tend to lag behind ,the shaft I6 until they finally come into register with the sections 3IA, resulting in the formation of two continuous spiral blades instead of four sectional or interrupted blades. When this point is reached, the main effort of the blades is to expel the mix which is permitted by the manual opening of the gate 46. It can be seen that the point at which the mixing action is changed to an expelling action depends upon the initial tension of the springs 36 and 31,- this being adjustable by the mere movement of the pins 35 to the desired hole 33.

It will be noted that as the blades 26 begin to lag, the pawl 4U rises out of its notch in front of a tooth I5, and by the time the blades 26 and 3IA are in full register, the pawl 4U drops in front of the next tooth I5 automatically latching vthe blades in a discharged position, from which they can be released only by a manual withdrawal of the pawl 40 by pulling the ring 42.

In some cases it may be found desirable to make the teeth I5 square on both sides in order that the transfer from the mixing to the discharging actions may not be automatic in order that the degree of freezing may be completed controlled manually.

It is a matter of common knowledge that mixing machines have been constructed employing continuous spiral blades which may be moved to and from a spiral form or a straight blade. A typical illustration is Patent No. 1,837,565 over which my device is an improvement. With my device, it is unnecessary to change the shape of the mixing element and the mixing blades are always permitted to move freely to the wall of the container for the purpose of scraping the freezing particles therefrom.

It will be noted that the springs 35 and 31 are wound in opposite directions in order that the desired driving action may be obtained Vtherefrom and that the springs will tend to tighten on the shaft as the driving action increases.

I am aware that many forms of mixing machines have been constructed in the past. I therefore do not intend to cover such devices broadly, but I do intend to cover all such forms and modifications thereof as fall fairly within the appended claims. f

I claim:

1. A mixing machine having in combination a container, a series of spaced blades mounted in va fixed spiral having means for positively revolving same within said container about the longitudinal axis of said spiral and a second set of blades adapted to occupy the spaces between the lrst set of blades and having a torsion spring for driving said second set of blades normally in advance of the rst set of blades in a manner that the resistance offered to the movement of said spring driven blades will cause same to register with the first set of blades in a manner to form a continuous spiral for the purpose of ejecting the contents of the container from one end thereof.

2. An ice cream mixer having in combination a cylinder, a shaft revolvable along the axis of said cylinder, a spiral series of positively driven blades carried by said shaft and free to move radially in relation thereto, a second set of blades disposed in spaced spiral formation adapted to be moved into position between the blades of the rst mentioned set, a torsion spring drive between the two sets of blades adapted to normally drive one set of blades in advance of the other for mixing purposes and means for latching both sets of blades into a single continuous spiral for discharge purposes.

3. In an ice cream mixing machine the combination of a cylindrical container having a shaft revolvably mounted along its axis and having a plurality of fixed spiral blades positively driven by said shaft, each of said blades being interrupted or formed of spaced sections, said shaft having revolvably mounted thereon spiral blades consisting of short sections adapted to occupy the spaces between the sections of the positively driven sets, torsion springs between the two sets of blades adapted to yieldably drive said second set of blades and means for adjusting the tension of said springs.

4. In an ice cream mixing machine the combination of a cylindrical container having a shaft revolvably mounted along its axis and having a plurality of fixed spiral blades positively driven by said shaft, each of said blades being interrupted or formed of spaced sections, said shaft having revolvably mounted thereon spiral blades consisting of short sections adapted to occupy the spaces between the sections of the positively driven sets, torsion springs between the two sets of blades adapted to yieldably drive said second set of blades, means for adjusting the tension of said springs and means for latching the two sets of blades into registering positions for the purpose of forming continuous spiral members therefrom.

5. The mixing machine Vdescribed in claim 4 characterized by having each of the spiral members slidably mounted in a radial direction for the purpose of permitting said blades to move outwardly under centrifugal action.

6. The machine described in claim 4 characterized by having a manual means for releasing said latching means for the purpose of permitting said spirally arranged blade members to move out of register into a mixing position.

7. A mixing machine including a container' in combination with a sectional blade mounted in said container, means forl positively rotating said blade and a second sectional blade yieldably driven by said first mentioned blade, the sections in the two sets of blades alternating to form a continuous blade when the two sections are brought into register under load.

MAX A. ARNDT. 

